TORRANCE, Calif., (April 5, 2004)—The Electronic Document Systems Foundation (EDSF), the non-profit organization dedicated to the document communication industry, today announced the availability of its latest survey titled: “Document Communications Industry Trends: 2004 Survey Results.” Funded by EDSF and in collaboration with consultants at Doculabs, as well as the faculty at the University of Illinois, Chicago, the survey was developed and administered in late 2003 to subscribers of EDSF, Xplor International, AIIM International, Outputlinks.com, and Doculabs. The survey results provide a unique insight into the near-term challenges and plans from a variety of respondents. Objectives and Methodology The objective in conducting the study was to understand a number of key business issues, including:  · What effect will electronic document distribution have on communications in 2004 · How are organizations managing the sheer volume of customer correspondence  · What pressures exist to increase the timeliness for document delivery  · What techniques are being pursued to minimize the laborious process of document production  · How change management is being conducted to address frequent marketplace and regulatory changes  · What efforts are being made to eliminate or reduce costs  "The document communications market continues to evolve, incorporating new methods and technologies," stated Doculabs president James Watson, Jr. "Surveys such as this plays an important role in the industry; they provide us with critical insight on user demand and anticipated requirements for the next eight to ten months." Over 500 survey responses were received from an industry cross-section that included technology providers/consultants, financial services, manufacturing, telecom, government/education, healthcare, and “other” that included pharmaceutical and entertainment industries. Overall, the survey indicated the following findings: · Nearly one-third cited coast reduction as their top priority for 2004 · Moving to electronic distribution has not resulted in reduced budgets for paper correspondence. · Few have strategies in place to effectively manage postal expenses · There is a lack of agreement on the question of outsourcing between managers of document production functions and senior executives “The survey results provide a very frank look at the near-term plans and issues facing the document industry today,” said Jeanne Mowlds, EDSF Executive Director. “Furthermore, in EDSF’s continuing role in providing leading-edge research and education for the industry, we are providing this survey at no cost to all interested parties.” Availability EDSF is providing " Document Communications Industry Trends: 2004 Survey Results” at no charge. To receive your complimentary copy visit http://www.edsf.org/white_papers.cfm, contact the Foundation at 310-541-1481, or email [email protected] or [email protected].